Collar protector for soft shirts



March 10, 1953 J. w. STEELE COLLAR PROTECTOR FOR SOFT SHIRTS Filed Aug. 23, 1948 INVENTOR. 14 fifee/e,

Patented Mar. 10, 1953 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLLAR PROTECTOR FOR SOFT SHIRTS James W. Steele, North Kansas City, Mo. Application August 23, 1948, Serial No. 45,765

1 The present invention relates to means or devices used for protecting the collar portions of shirts, with particular reference to the collars of soft shirts, or what are known as sport shirts, which are ordinarily finished in a relatively limp condition. A primary purpose of the present invention is to devise a practical and very simple device which will afford the desired protecting means for the collars of this type of shirt, with a view to supporting or bracing it against undue crushing, and also be so designed and constructed as to retain its position within the collar and not readily fall out of the finished shirt when the same is handled in the usual manner.

-It is also sought to provide an efiicient form of device that may be readily constructed from ordinary cardboard material in an economical manner and with practically no waste in said material.

With these general objects in view, as well as various minor objects as will appear in the course of the detail specification, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred form of the construction, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing-- I Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of the collar portion of a soft or sporiftype of shirt,

withfl ny new and improved supporting device inserted therein, in collar supporting and protecting position; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the supporting or protecting device removed from the shirt collar;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device as die-cut from a sheet of cardboard material; and Figure 4 is a detail sectional view,,representing a section taken on the line 44 of Figure l,

but on an enlarged scale.

With reference to the general type or class of collar supports in common use, which are adapted as a protective support for collars that are starched or sized in the finishing operation, these supporting devices comprise a band or supporting strip which is inserted between the folds of the collar, and the device is adapted to be retained in this position, so long as the support is in use. With sport shirts and thelike, which are made of soft material which will not permit starching or sizing, so that the collars are left in a limp or flimsy condition even in the finshed state, a somewhat different type of supporting 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-83) v 2 device is desirable, which will not only facilitate its application into supporting position but also provide the required stiffness or rigidity of the supporting function for protecting the collar from becoming mussed and disarranged in han dling or packaging, as well as preserving the garment in its neatly finished condition up to the time of use.

For providing an effective device for this purpose I make use of a construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is die-cut from suitable cardboard material to provide a pair of oblong bands of approximately equal length, and comprising a collar neckfold engaging band 6 (which may be termed the front band portion of the device), and also an inner or bracing band or strip 8 (which I may term the rear band portion of the device) having the same general curvature as illustrated in Figure 3 and connected with the band 6 along a hinge or fold'line designated generally by the reference numeral I0. As shown, the two bands 6 and 8 are of approximately the same width as well as length, and the connection between the bands is made along a weakened fold line which may be produced by means of a series of perforations or slits I2 extending from points adjacent the ends of the bands to points short of the mid-point of said fold line I0; this leaves positive or unbroken connecting portions, not only between said slits or perforations l 2 but also at the ends of said fold line as indicated at l 0, as well as along the'somewhat extended midportion ill" of said fold lineor between the inner ends of said series of slits or perforations l2--as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. v

The purpose of this folding bandstructme is to provide a bracing or supporting means of an inverted-V type within the collar opening-the base of the support being the back portion of the shirt or package containing the same, and the nature of the construction being such that the rear band 8 can not be folded into actual engagement with the front band 6, so that it is at all times obliged to assume a'spaced' supporting or bracing position, in rearwardly inclined relation to said front band 6. This feature is of particular importance with relation to the middle portion of the device where the aforesaid unbroken portion ID" of the hinge or foldline extends for some distance and is thus adapted to provide an approximately straight and relative maximum protecting or bracing action is most needed for resisting any crushing action at the critical point where this protection is most essential.

Referring to the contour of the longitudinal edges of the bands 6 and 8, it may be explained that these are not of strictly circular design but are of such curvature that on folding of said bands along the fold line I the outer longitudinal edges of. thev bands will. maintain a substantial continuous supporting engagement throughout their length with the horizontal inner face of the back portion of the shirtas represented in Figure 4, while said fold line conforms approximately to the upper fold line of the collar 2!, as shown in Figures 1 and 4.

Referring also to the middle connecting portion 10" between the bands 6 and 8, this also has the effect of helping to distribute the bendingv effect at the middle portions ofthe bands, so as to prevent the-bending ofthe same at merely one cen tral point-when the bands are being inserted into operative or supporting position within thecollar, as" above explained.

. The middle portion of the front. band 6 is illustrated, as provided with a hinged wing tab device of somewhat elongated, or oblong design which may be conveniently die-cut from the saidmidportion of the band 6, to form end wing portions ll of any appropriate or desired contour. Asshown, this wing tab device is left connected with theband 6 by means of a small tablike. element l8. having, a short/unbroken connecting line 18' adjacentto and directly below the midportion l0" of the-main fold line l0. Thus, the tab device i5 may be swung outwardly and upwardly with reference to said connecting hinge line 18' to facilitate the insertion of the main band portions El and 8 within thecollar opening, and thereafter swung back to insert. the inner portions H of the tab beneath the upper front corners of the collar. In this position the tab member provides not only an'eflicient retaining means for holding thesupport. inplace at the front of the collar but further acts as. abracing, means for reinforcing the supporting action of the device at the front meeting ends of the collar, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. i

A. very practicalandeilicient device is thu provided for carrying out the desired objects of my invention,.as a means for providing adequate. prot'ection as regards the collar portions of soft :shirt's,,such as sport shirts and the like. The

device is readily inserted in the manner above indicated, into supporting position within the collar opening, as illustrated in Figure 1, in which position the end of the device extend into engagement with the opposite ends of the relatively straight rear portion of the collar; and as the construction of the bands 6 and; 8 as illustrated and described is of uch a character (as above explained) that whenthe lower supporting edges of both bands are engaged with the'back portion 22; of the shirt, said; bands can not be crowded any closer together; it is therefore, evident that the folding of said bands is limited to the inverted V-shaped relationas represented in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 4 of the drawing. In this position the device obviously provides arigid. or noncollapsible supporting 1over,.the.: ends of the rear band 8 being engaged in" abutting relation to theopposite ends of the relatively straight rear portion of the collar 2!, the support is thereby retained against any tendency to move out of its supporting and bracin position. Preferably, also, the ends of said rear band portion 8 are cut on a bias to provide rearwardly inclined end edges for still more effectively resisting any such tendency of the support to become dislodged from the position illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. As a matter of fact any downward or forward pressure exerted against the rear ends of: the support. simply results in producing an upward or lifting action at the front portion of the support-opposite the meeting. ends of the collar.

The provision of the wing tab device not only serves a supporting function, for reinforcing the front portion of the collar, but also a retaining functionsinceits position between the folds of the collar effectively counteracts any tendency of the support to move upwardly out of its operative or supporting position.

In this connection it is also pointed out that an important feature of the invention lies in the fact that the construction of the wing tab device leaves the lower front portion of the front band 6 intact, whereby said front band ismade to serve as a continuous supporting and bracing meansin engagement with the frontof the shirt all around the collar, in cooperationwith the rear band 8 of the support. Moreover, this feature of the invention serves a still further novel function, by virtue of the fact that the cutting out of the wing tab device from the front band 6 also leaves an inner edge (indicated at '6) adapted to serve and function as a shoulder for engagement with the interior front portion of the collar, thus reinforcing the retaining function of the" wing tab device by counteracting any tendency of the support to move out of its operative or supporting position (see Figure 4) While I have illustrated and described what I have found to represent a practical andefli'cient as well as what I now regard as the preferred form of construction for embodying my'improved features of construction, it will of course be apparent that minor changes ormodifications may readily be made, within the scope of what I regard s my invention. For the provision of the inverted-V type, of braced or reinforced supporting structure. is not considered as strictly limited to the specific relative sizes or proportions shown, orto the means. illustrated for constructing, the hinge or fold line between the. front and rear band sections; and moreover, the specific design and location, or mode of connection betweenthe auxiliary wing tab device l5, may obviously be varied while at the same; time preserving its functional characteristicsas herein set forth. As a matter of fact the wing tab device I51 may be altogether omitted from the supportv so far: as

the primary features of my invention are conclaim.

Having thus described my invention, what: I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

A. one-piece collar supporting and protecting device for finished and folded shirts, comprising a collar supporting band for engaging the inner neck-engaging. face of the neck fold of the collar,

and-abracing band substantially coextensive with bands in supporting engagement with the inner 10 Number face of the back portion of the shirt, and said supporting band being formed with a wing tab portion struck out from its front portion midway between the ends thereof and having the upper edge of said wing tab hingedly connected with said supporting band adjacent to the upper margin thereof, whereby said wing tab may be inserted into retaining engagement between the upper front corners of the shirt collar.

JAMES W. STEELE.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,816,539 Lerman July 28, 1931 1,837,567 Mead Dec. 22, 1931 1,876,814 Wilson Sept. 13, 1932 2,045,462 Gronauer June 23, 1936 2,078,761 Herrlinger Apr. 27, 1937 2,149,192 Steele Feb. 28, 1939 ,289,073 Ross et a1 July 7, 1942 

